The Trouble With Temptation (Second Service Book 3)(47)

Barinov.

Morgan twisted and writhed in his grasp, desperate to turn her gun on him, but he knocked it from her hand. The weapon disappeared beneath a broken lawnmower.

But it turned out Barinov didn’t need her gun. He had another. Of course, he did. It seemed everyone she’d come in contact with over the last couple of days was armed to the teeth.

Barinov pressed the muzzle against her skull. He forced her to look directly at Ty as he held her across his body like a shield.

“The bartender,” Barinov said to Ty. His voice was low, but filled with sudden understanding. “You’re the FBI agent.”

Ty was still a good fifteen feet in front of her, but he had his gun trained squarely on Barinov, and, unlike her, it looked like he knew how to use it.

“Let her go,” Ty said. His gaze was focused squarely on Barinov’s face but Morgan could hear the strain in his voice. “And I promise I won’t shoot you between the eyes.”

“Is that your idea of negotiation, bartender?” Barinov asked with a tight laugh.

“It’s a better deal than I gave your men,” Ty said.

Morgan felt Barinov tense. The barrel of the gun dug deeper into her temple.

“So, you’re the one responsible for their deaths,” he said through gritted teeth. He vibrated with anger.

Morgan prayed Ty knew what he was doing, because she had the feeling Barinov was one more revelation away from putting a bullet in her head.

“And if you don’t let Morgan go, I’m going to be the one responsible for yours.” Ty inched closer.

“Not another step,” Barinov warned. “Or I’ll put the bitch down, right now.”

Ty stopped moving, but he didn’t lower his gun. “I doubt it. Everyone knows you never do your own dirty work, Barinov.”

“For you, I’d make an exception,” he sneered against her ear. Morgan wasn’t sure about Ty, but she sure as hell believed him. “No more games. Put down your gun, or I kill your whore.”

Ty’s gaze flickered back and forth between Barinov and her. His body tensed. His lips flattened. She could practically see the wheels spinning in his mind.

Did he risk taking the shot?

She had the feeling that if it was anyone other than her, the answer would never be in doubt.

Ty’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment before he finally tossed his gun down on the dirt in front of him.

“Good choice,” Barinov sneered. He pulled the weapon from Morgan’s head and instantly aimed at Ty.

Ty had only a fraction of a second to react before the shot rang out.

It wasn’t enough time.

Morgan screamed as Ty crumpled to the ground. She wrenched out of Barinov’s grasp and ran toward him, not caring if she was hit with a bullet in the back. All she wanted was to be by Ty’s side.

She collapsed down to her knees beside him. His shirt was covered in blood. So much blood. It radiated down from his shoulder and covered his chest.

His eyes were closed. Morgan shook him, but he didn’t move. His body was limp and heavy in her hands.

No. Dear God, no.

This was her fault. All her fault. He never should have come after her. She would have gladly taken a hundred bullets rather than see anything happen to Ty.

“Ty.” She grasped his hand and lifted it to her lips. “I love you,” she whispered as she kissed his slack fingers.

Tears filled her eyes as Barinov’s shadow fell over her.

“And now it’s your turn, you troublesome bitch.”

Morgan closed her eyes.

But the shot didn’t come. Instead, she felt Ty’s leg suddenly sweep out next to her. Her eyes snapped open in time to see Barinov falling to the ground.

He hit hard, but held fast to the gun. It went off. The shot went wild, pinging off metal in the distance.

Morgan didn’t waste any time. She wrapped her hands around the pistol and wrenched it from his hands. Then she scooted back as Ty sprung to life.

In an instant, he hooked his good arm under Barinov’s neck before the bastard could recover, and rolled, pulling Barinov’s heavy body on top of him.

Barinov writhed and kicked at the dust, but Ty held tight. He grabbed on to the side of Barinov’s head and twisted hard. There was a sickening snap, and Barinov’s body went slack.

Morgan struggled to catch her breath as Ty sloughed the body off. He sat up and looked at Morgan. She stared right back, not believing what she was seeing.

“Y-you’re alive,” she said.

His lips quirked up in a half smile. He pulled himself up to his knees and started crawling over. “I am. And so are you.”

Morgan met him halfway. She wrapped her arms around his chest before she could think better of it. Ty flinched and sucked in a sharp breath.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. His left arm was hanging limply at his side. The blood stain was still growing across his shirt. “You’re hurt.”

“I’ll live,” he said with a grimace. “I think the bullet went clean through the muscle. Another scar to add to the collection.”

Morgan slipped his jacket off then pulled her shirt over her head. She pulled back his collar and pressed the makeshift bandage to his wound. It wasn’t a permanent solution but it would work for now. She still needed to get him to a hospital as quickly as possible, but first they had to get out of the junkyard. Barinov might be dead, but his men were still crawling around.